West Salem football takes to the field in an OSAA 6A quarterfinal game against South Medford on Friday, Nov. 17, 2017, at West Salem High School. West went on to lose the matchup 14-28.(Photo: MOLLY J. SMITH / Statesman Journal)Buy Photo

The 2018 football season, which officially begins Monday with the start of summer practices, is one of many changes for the six Salem-Keizer teams.

North Salem and McKay are now in the Mid-Willamette Conference at the Class 5A level, and West Salem, Sprague, South Salem and McNary are in the newly formed Mountain Valley Conference with the Bend schools at the Class 6A level.

Another big change for West Salem, Sprague, South Salem and McNary is how their season schedule breaks down, in terms of conference and nonconference games.

The Mountain Valley will not play a full round-robin schedule of conference games, instead competing in just four games that count toward the conference standings.

Every conference in Class 6A is playing a partial league schedule this season, with the exception of the Southwest Conference, which has just five teams.

“The 6A ADs voted last year to play only four league games, maybe five if possible, per league,” said Pete Lukich, the athletic director at Sunset High School in the Beaverton School District. “The reason was to try and create more competitive equity in the matchups that took place each week.”

West Salem, Sprague, South Salem and McNary will each play five nonconference games and four conference games.

The Saxons will play their first conference game on Sept. 28 at home against Bend. The Titans, Olympians and Celtics all open their conference season Oct. 5.

Buy Photo

Sprague's Kobe Withers (9) rolls over after making an interception in the Forest Grove vs. Sprague football game at Sprague High School in Salem on Friday, Oct. 6, 2017.(Photo: ANNA REED / Statesman Journal)

The new way of scheduling for 6A football has been controversial because it devalues the importance of having conferences.

It also has created some issues involving crosstown rivals — South Salem will host Sprague on Sept. 21 in a nonconference game. The two schools have shared the southern part of the city since Sprague opened in 1972, and this season they will not face each other in a conference matchup.

“They’ve taken league play completely out of the game,” Sprague coach Jay Minyard said. “Our South Salem game had to be scheduled as a nonleague game. That’s unbelievable. How do you determine a true league champion? Are we just playing for power rankings?”

All of the other matchups between West Salem, South Salem, Sprague and McNary were preserved in the conference schedules.

West Salem senior Alex Hurlburt, who was the Greater Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Year last season as a defensive lineman, said that since the Titans still play the other Salem-Keizer schools in the conference, it doesn’t seem as negative a situation as it could have been this season.

“McNary is a great team, Sprague’s a great team, South (Salem) is going to be a good team. We get to play all those teams,” Hurlburt said. “We also get to play other great teams. This is definitely the hardest schedule the school has ever had.”

For many high school football players, the focus is primarily on what they can control, which is to prepare, show up and face the opponent on their schedule.

South Salem senior tight end Diego Fuimaono said that he is looking forward to showing what the Saxons can do against teams outside of the Salem-Keizer area.

“Being able to play schools from Bend or from Portland, I think it’s going to be huge,” Fuimaono said. “I think being able to showcase what we can do against other schools is important.”

Here is a look at the schedules for all six Salem-Keizer football teams:

Salem-Keizer football schedules

Buy Photo

South Salem head coach Scott Scott DuFault talks to his team following the North Salem vs. South Salem football game at South Salem High School in Salem on Friday, Oct. 6, 2017. South South won the Mayor's Trophy 24-14.(Photo: ANNA REED / Statesman Journal)

SOUTH SALEM FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

Aug. 24 — Jamboree at Oregon City, 6:30 p.m.

Aug. 31 — Newberg at South Salem, 7 p.m.

Sept. 7 — South Salem at Sunset, 7 p.m.

Sept. 14 — McMinnville at South Salem, 7 p.m.

Sept. 21 — Sprague at South Salem, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 28 — Bend at South Salem, 7:15 p.m. (conference)

Oct. 5 — South Salem at West Salem, 7:15 p.m. (conference)

Oct. 12 — South Salem at Oregon City, 7 p.m.

Oct. 19 — Summit at South Salem, 7:15 p.m. (conference)

Oct. 26 — South Salem at McNary, 7:15 p.m. (conference)

Buy Photo

West Salem head coach Shawn Stanley talks to his team after the West Salem vs. South Salem football game at South Salem High School on Friday, Oct. 21, 2016. West Salem won the game 45-9.(Photo: ANNA REED / Statesman Journal)

WEST SALEM FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

Aug. 24 — Jamboree at home, 6 p.m.

Aug. 31 — West Salem at Lake Oswego, 7 p.m.

Sept. 7 — Bend at West Salem, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 14 — West Salem at Grant, 7 p.m.

Sept. 21 — Sheldon at West Salem, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 28 — West Salem at Beaverton, 7 p.m.

Oct. 5 — South Salem at West Salem, 7:15 p.m. (conference)

Oct. 12 — West Salem at Mountain View, 7:15 p.m. (conference)

Oct. 19 — McNary at West Salem, 7:15 p.m. (conference)

Oct. 26 — West Salem at Sprague, 7:15 p.m. (conference)

Buy Photo

Sprague head coach Jay Minyard talks to the team following a 56-7 loss against Jesuit in a second round OSAA 6A state playoff game against Jesuit on Friday, Nov. 10, 2017, at Sprague High School.(Photo: MOLLY J. SMITH / Statesman Journal)

SPRAGUE FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

Aug. 24 — Jamboree at West Salem

Aug. 31 — Liberty at Sprague, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 7 — Sprague at Lakeridge, 7 p.m.

Sept. 14 — Central Catholic at Sprague, 7 p.m.

Sept. 21 — Sprague at South Salem, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 28 — Tigard at Sprague, 7 p.m.

Oct. 5 — Sprague at McNary, 7:15 p.m. (conference)

Oct. 12 — Sprague at Summit, 7:15 p.m. (conference)

Oct. 19 — Mountain View at Sprague, 7 p.m. (conference)

Oct. 26 — West Salem at Sprague, 7:15 p.m. (conference)

Buy Photo

McNary head coach Jeff Auvinen calls out to his team in the Grants Pass vs. McNary football game in the first round of the OSAA class 6A playoffs at McNary High School in Keizer on Friday, Nov. 3, 2017.(Photo: ANNA REED / Statesman Journal)

MCNARY FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

Aug. 24 — Jamboree at Beaverton, 7 p.m.

Aug. 31 — North Medford at McNary, 7 p.m.

Sept. 7 — McNary at West Linn, 7 p.m.

Sept. 14 — McNary at Tualatin, 7 p.m.

Sept. 21 — McNary at Tumwater (WA), 7 p.m.

Sept. 28 — South Medford at McNary, 7:15 p.m.

Oct. 5 — Sprague at McNary, 7:15 p.m. (conference)

Oct. 12 — McNary at Bend, 7 p.m. (conference)

Oct. 19 — McNary at West Salem, 7:15 p.m. (conference)

Oct. 26 — South Salem at McNary, 7:15 p.m. (conference)

Buy Photo

McKay football head coach Josh Riddell talks to players in the first quarter of a game against West Salem at McKay High School on Friday, Sept. 1, 2017, in Salem, Ore. This is McKay's first game on their newly installed turf field, which was completed over the summer.(Photo: MOLLY J. SMITH / Statesman Journal)

MCKAY FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

Aug. 24 — Jamboree at Cascade, 7 p.m.

Aug. 31 — West Albany at McKay, 7 p.m.

Sept. 7 — McKay at Central, 7 p.m.

Sept. 14 — South Albany at McKay, 7 p.m.

Sept. 21 — McKay at Lebanon, 7 p.m.

Sept. 28 — North Salem at McKay, 7 p.m.

Oct. 5 — McKay at Corvallis, 7 p.m.

Oct. 12 — Dallas at McKay, 7 p.m.

Oct. 19 — McKay at Silverton, 7 p.m.

Oct. 26 — McKay at Crescent Valley, 7 p.m.

*All games are conference games

Buy Photo

North Salem head coach Jeff Flood talks to his team following the Forest Grove vs. North Salem football game at North Salem High School on Friday, Sept. 8, 2017. Forest Grove won the game 13-6.(Photo: ANNA REED / Statesman Journal)

NORTH SALEM FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

Aug. 31 — North Salem at Crescent Valley, 7 p.m.

Sept. 7 — Corvallis at North Salem, 7 p.m.

Sept. 14 — Dallas at North Salem, 7 p.m.

Sept. 21 — Silverton at North Salem, 7 p.m.

Sept. 28 — North Salem at McKay, 7 p.m.

Oct. 5 — West Albany at North Salem, 7 p.m.

Oct. 12 — North Salem at Central, 7 p.m.

Oct. 19 — South Albany at North Salem, 7 p.m.

Oct. 26 — North Salem at Lebanon, 7 p.m.

*All games are conference games

Contact Pete Martini at (503) 399-6730 or pmartini@StatesmanJournal.com, or follow at Twitter.com/PeteMartiniSJ